Base-ball mask.



PATENTED OCT. 24,1905.

E. J. GOLDSMITH.

BASE BALL MASK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1904.

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E. J. GOLDSMITH.

BASE BALL MASK. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 19'04.

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EDGAR J. GOLDSMITH, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO P. GOLD- SMITHSSONS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A FIRM.

BASE-BALL WIASM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24:, 1905.

Application filed May 27, 190 Serial No. 210,044.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR J. GOLDSMITH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBase-Ball Masks and Attachments Therefor, of which the following is aspecification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantagesresulting from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent fromthe following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, andin which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts,Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a ball-mask having myimprovements and illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewtaken at the rear, but a little to one side of a point directly behindthe mask, the view being known as a threequarter rear view. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section of the preferred kind of cushion used forcarrying my invention into effect-viz., an inflatable onetaken on theplane of the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. A is a vertical section ofthe full cushion in its most complete form. Fig. 5 represents apreferred mode of securing the flexible fasteners to the mask. Fig. 6 isa vertical central section (taken from front to rear) of my mask. Fig.7. is a bottom view of my mask.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail.

The frame of the mask F is for the sake of lightness, ventilation, andcomfort composed of wires or rods arranged in any suitable manner. Apreferred arrangement and combination of said wires is shown in thedrawings. As the construction of such frames for the purposes ofball-masks is well known, further description thereof is omitted.

I provide a cushion for the mask. This cushion may extend at each sideand across the forehead and across the chin, (see Fig. 4,) or the sideportions may be united at the forehead and not at the chin, or the sideportions may be united at the chin and a cushion or connecting-bandacross the forehead be dispensed with, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.The latter form of cushion is the one I prefer.

The cushion may be of leather or other flexible material and may bestuffed with a resilient material; but there are important objections toa leather pad filled with resilient material, chief among which may benoted, first, that the perspiration of the wearer soaks the leather andthe material with which the pad is stuffed and causes these todeteriorate; secondly, to become hard and be uncomfortable, and,finally, to be no longer a cushion to soften the impact of the frameworkof the mask upon the face when the mask is struck by a swiftly-thrownball.

My preferred mode of rendering the cushion elastic or resilient consistsas follows: The several portions of the cushions are made in the form ofreceptacles the walls of which are impervious to air. These receptaclesare inflatable; but to enable all of them to be inflated by oneoperation they are connected by passages through which the air can passfrom one receptacle to the adjacent one or ones. For example, A A arethe upper side cushions, and B B are the lower side cushions, and Cindicates the loweror chin cushion. The chambers of the side cushions AB are connected with each other bya passage P, and the chambers of theside cushions A B are connected with each other by a passage PCommunication between the chambers of the lower side cushions B and 'Band the chamber of the chin cushion C is respectively established by therespective passages P and P. preferably likewise connected to the upperside cushions. At the outside of one of the cushions or divisions,preferably one of the upper ones, is located an inflating-tubecontaining a suitable device whereby the tube may be closed when thecushions are inflated. This may be a valve operating automatically or ascrew-plug to be advanced and closed by the one inflating the bag. Ihave shown an inflating-tube D, provided with a screw-plug D Thus byopening the inflating-tube D and filling the cushions with air and thenclosing the tube the latter will be rendered ready for use. The amountof inflation can be regulated at will and should be according to thesize of the face of the wearer of the mask.

The preferred materials of which the cushions are made consist of aninner layer N of here there is a forehead-cushion it is rubber or anymaterial impervious to air and an outer covering M of cloth. That kindknown as khaki is preferred. This cloth is not injured by perspirationand is ever soft to the skin of the wearer.

The cushions are secured at the inner surfaces of the parts of the frameof the mask substantially as indicated, and the preferred means of myinvention for securing them to the rods of the mask are indicated, viz:Flexible metal strips L are duly secured to the cushion. One mode is bypassing the strip through the cloth or material M and between it and therubber layer N. Another and the preferred one is by holding the strip tothe outer surface of the cushion by a piece of material duly secured tothe cushion. Thus in Fig. 5 the part L is secured to the cushion, andthe strip L passes between it and the cushion. Those parts of the stripsL which are outside of the cloth are bent around the adjacent rods andthen fastened together. Each rod has an eye L at one end and a pointedend L at the other. The pointed end is inserted through the eye and thestrip drawn taut therethrough, and the free end is then bent over backand down. Thus each strip is securely locked and contributes to hold thecushion to the mask-frame.

The cushions are braced more securely to and on the frame if each stripL embraces two of the rods F of the frame, substantially as shown.

The cushions A and B might be a single one, and so might be the cushionsA and B but they are preferably formed as shown to give room for thecheek-bone of the wearer and to afford a convenient place for the strapS to pass, which connects the mask to the head of the wearer by passingaround the head of the latter. This strap S is secured to the frontouter part of the mask-frame on one side (on the left in Fig. 1) by aconnection S preferably permanent, and to the front outer partof themask-frame on the other by a tongue S and buckle S or like. connection,which can be separated and can be adjusted so as to shorten that part ofthe strap which embraces the head.

The attenuated form of the cushions at the necks P and P permits thestrap S to be located there without unduly pressing the cushions againstthe face of the wearer of the mask.

The connection between the frame and the lower portion of the cushion ator near the ends of the chin-piece I prefer to make with eyelet andcord, substantially as shown; but the eyelet is located where the partsare noninflatable, so as not to open a communication between theair-conduit or the air-chamber of that cushion and the outer air.

My invention is well applicable to fencingmasks.

A great many slight changes might be made in the general form andarrangement of the parts described without departing from my invention,and hence I do not confine myself to the precise details set forth, butconsider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterationsas fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A mask comprising a suitable frame, inflatable side cushion portionscarried thereby for bearing against the sides of the face or head, saidcushions having contracted portions to form recesses for thecheek-bones, and a portion directly connecting said side portions andlying in advance of the side portions, substantially as described.

2. A mask comprising a frame, inflatable side portions carried therebyhaving each a contracted portion with a connecting-channel, and aninflatable cross portion having its central portion lying in front ofsaid side portions and having channels communicating therewith,substantially as described.

EDGAR J. GOLDSMITH.

Attest:

W. J. SOHNS, v R. H. WoBnrTs.

